Nancy McDonell-Lemaire - Builder (Figure Skating) - Class of 2022

Nancy McDonell-Lemaire first began her skating journey in 1973 with the Milton Skating Club at the Brown Street Arena. She skated competitively up to the junior level before switching to coaching.

For over 30 years Nancy has guided figure skating’s next generations as their coach and mentor, all the while taking Milton Skating Club from a very small operation to one of Skate Canada’s largest and ever-prominent clubs.

Nancy’s impact is limitless. From three-year-old CanSkate newbies to Canadian Olympians, her passion for teaching is without bounds.

Time after time, Nancy’s former pupils have gone on to become certified instructors themselves, returning to the same rinks of their youth to follow Nancy in her pursuit to pass along the skating skills necessary to conquer an axel or merely to glide unaided up the ice for the first time.

Nancy’s dedication to her craft is evident in her lifelong commitment to stay behind that extra hour, to travel that extra mile to a competition, and most importantly to provide that extra care and calm at overseas competitions.

Her accomplishments extend beyond the rink to the successful implementation of a high-performance sports program in Halton’s elementary and secondary schools, affording elite skaters more opportunities to train while still receiving an education. It is a program that has been replicated by many other local high-performance athletes and organizations.

At the time of her induction, Nancy is Milton Skating Club’s technical director, a national and Olympic-level coach, and a positive role model to countless more. It is clear she has imparted a sense that representing Milton comes before oneself upon the skaters she has uplifted.